Portland Timbers player evaluations vs. Real Salt Lake (third match)

View full sizeTimbers players Jose Valencia, Will Johnson and Donovan Ricketts prepare to defend a corner kick during the Timbers - Real Salt Lake match. While there were no goals, it certainly was a very solid defensive effort by both teams to keep the score even.Jennifer Kesgard, community blogger

G Donovan Ricketts (90 minutes): 9. Donovan showed incredible range with his goal
kicks, saves in traffic, distribution with the throws, and overall positioning
with blocks and deflections. He showed
an element in this match that I hadn't seen from him before – leaving his line
on a long ball that was put between his defense and him, which forced him to
attack the ball instead of just waiting for somebody else to collect it. Ricketts had this happen once in each half,
and his first half effort in the 28th minute started the play that
produced one of the best scoring chances for the Timbers – the near miss by
Diego Valeri.

D Michael Harrington (90 minutes): 8. While Harrington provided his usual steady
performance of defensive tracking and aiding the offense when needed as an
outlet or to make an overlapping run, I thought this match featured some of the
best interplay that Harrington has had with a fellow forward. Valencia and Harrington were very
adept at breaking down the RSL defense along the left flank, as Michael really
became one of the best outlets for ball movement.

View full sizeTimbers forward Jose Valencia chases down RSL defender Nat Borchers for the ball during the match. Valencia's speed was giving Real Salt Lake issues in trying to defend, as he was able to stretch the offense with several runs on the outside flanks.Jennifer Kesgard, community blogger

D Futty Danso (90 minutes): 8. Danso made his fifth consecutive start at center
back, and continued his solid play alongside his country man. He wasn't that involved statistically in terms
of passing, but where his presence was felt was in clearances and headers and
Danso's athleticism in the air was a huge asset for Portland as RSL had trouble controlling the
ball around the middle of the pitch when Danso was marking the intended target.
It was another outstanding effort for one half of the "Great Wall of Gambia."

D Pa Modou Kah (90 minutes): 8. Speaking of the other half of the Great Wall, Kah
was a bit more active since RSL seemed to target his side of the pitch a bit
more with their attack. Kah was also a
bit more active on set pieces with a few shot attempts because of his ability
to get his head in the right spot, but otherwise, he was very busy with his
marking responsibilities along the defensive line. What impressed me most about Kah was his
ability to keep a level head when the game action increased in physicality and
intensity.

D Jack Jewsbury (90 minutes): 8. Much like Harrington, Jewsbury was very busy along
the right flank with his varying duties.
He tracked back nicely on defense and was responsible for several
outstanding blocks and tackles, but he also provided a good option with
overlapping runs to move down the wing offensively. It looked like Valencia and Nagbe were looking at
certain points to drop the ball or push it out wide for JJ, and that did
provide opportunities to push the field's width. It was unfortunate, though, that Jewsbury's
crosses weren't as on target as we've seen in previous matches.

View full sizeTimbers midfielder Will Johnson was very busy against his former team, and showed his leadership throughout the match. Whether it was making the touch pass, service from the corners or having discussions with the officials or other RSL players, Will was all over the pitch. He was an excellent selection for Supporters Player of the Year in voting by the Timbers Army.Jennifer Kesgard, community blogger

M Will Johnson (90 minutes): 9. A team captain is a difficult role at times because
of the emotional and physical investment a player must make when they put the
armband on and take the pitch. Others
look to the captain for leadership, direction, and support, and what Will
displayed against his old club was really a roadmap of what a team captain must
do. I can imagine this was a difficult
task at times to play against many that he had previously shared a locker room
with, but Will handled it incredibly well.
Statistically, he was also very solid in his role of causing havoc in
the midfield.

M Diego Chara (90 minutes): 8. It was a slightly different game for Chara,
although if you watched his efforts on the pitch, he brought the usual qualities
that he brings to the pitch – tenacity, ferocity, and forever whirling in
support of his club. I was impressed
that he followed his usual course of play despite being obviously within the
crosshairs of Center Official Kevin Stott for the entire match. While he did get a caution for persistent
infringement later in the match, he didn't let the threat of officiating stop
his usual tactics of menacing the midfield while working hard to distribute the
ball forward.

M Diego Valeri (63 minutes, substituted by F Rodney
Wallace in 63rd minute for tactics): 8. With all the talk that Valeri was dealing with the
affects of an adductor strain suffered during the match in Salt Lake City back in August 30, I was
pleasantly surprised when he was able to play in such a key match. He also held up very well even with being the
recipient of several very harsh tackles and bumps during his time out there.
I'm sure he would have loved to have the 28th minute chance back
when he received the great pass from Valencia that Nagbe could have
taken, but he instead faked out the RSL defense and dropped to Diego in
space. He's such a creative force, and I
hope that his health allows him to stay strong through the postseason.

View full sizeTimbers forward Darlington Nagbe is now the most fouled player in MLS, but he hasn't let the extra attention deter his efforts on the pitch. Against Real Salt Lake, he was able to get loose several times to attack the goal but he wasn't able to add to his goal scoring total.MLS Soccer

F Rodney Wallace (27 minutes, brought on for M Diego
Valeri in 63rd minute): 6. After
being gone with the Costa Rican National Team for their recent qualifiers,
Wallace was fit and able to substitute in for the Timbers during their late
push for a goal. His presence out there
forced RSL to adjust their defense to account for his speed on the wing, and he
did contribute a deflected header that fell to Kalif Alhassan, but his shot was
saved by Rimando. With Maxi Urruti
likely out for the Chivas USA match, I would expect that Wallace will play
significant minutes in this one because his combination of speed and physical
play is what this team needs to push for first place.

F Jose Valencia (68 minutes, substituted by F Frederic
Piquionne in 68th minute for injury): 7. Valencia was simply a handful for the RSL defense all
night, and I appreciated his ability to run to capture the long through balls
sent out by his teammates. He had such a
unique ability to hold the ball in traffic, and his work with Michael
Harrington really produced some credible moments within the offense. He still turns the ball over too much, but
with his ability to win the ball and keep it away from the opposition, so I can
deal with the occasional turnover problem.
I also thought his passing on this night was much improved.

F Frederic Piquionne (23 minutes, brought on for F
Jose Valencia in 67th minute): 6. With Piquionne back to health, the Timbers finally have one of their
best weapons in the air readily available, and he certainly had a great chance
near stoppage time to give the Timbers a lead.
Combining a unique blend of quickness, strength and an ability to create
space in the narrowest of confines, Piquionne is a constant threat on the
pitch, but he's also adept to support his midfield and defense as needed. The fact he can create a dangerous shot out
of relatively little is pretty impressive.

F Darlington Nagbe
(90 minutes): 8. Nagbe now owns a
distinction that no MLS player really wants to be the leader of, even if it
does show how much respect the rest of the league has for his talent. Darlington is now the most fouled player
based upon minutes played during the MLS 2013 season, and he certainly was a
target of the RSL defense the entire night with bumps, tackles, clutches, grabs
and anything else that the opponents could get away with legally or
otherwise. The fact that Nagbe was still
able to influence several key offensive plays with that much attention is a
testament to his skill.

View full sizeKalif Alhassan was the talk of the town with his big performance against Seattle, and he followed it up with a positive effort against RSL. While he didn't score in his two shots on goal, Kalif was solid in offense while also tracking back to aid the defense as needed.Rick Curwen, community blogger

F Kalif Alhassan (88 minutes, substituted by F Sal
Zizzo in 88th minute for tactics): 8. Kalif followed up the biggest performance of his
2013 season against Seattle with another solid
effort against Real
Salt Lake. He produced two shots – one that slid over
the crossbar in the first half and a missile in the second that forced RSL
goalkeeper Nick Rimando – that didn't produce the goal, but he was very active
within the offense in making himself available.
What I also noticed was that he provided exceptional aid to the midfield
and defense by tireless tracking back on defense. For those that have watched him over the
years, that hasn't always been the case for Kalif so it's nice to see him
learn.

F Sal Zizzo (2 minutes, brought on for F Kalif
Alhassan in 88th minute): 6. It's impressive when you can make a huge mark in such a short time on
the pitch, but Zizzo did exactly that with his few minutes on the pitch. His point blank header forced Rimando to make
an incredible reaction save, while I thought the added dose of speed within the
offense really forced RSL to stretch their defense significantly. Zizzo could be a huge asset to this club
through the playoff run because of his ability to work along the wings as
evidenced by his short appearance.

Coaching Staff: 8. It's a delicate balance for the Timbers coaches to
navigate through this playoff run and keep everyone healthy and focus on the
overall goal of potentially making it to MLS Cup in December. With several players coming back from
international duty and others dealing with various ailments, Timbers Coach
Caleb Porter put out a lineup full of speed and athleticism designed to push
the tempo in his possession style offense.
While they lost the statistical battle in that respect, Porter did match
wits with RSL Coach Jason Kreis and there was plenty to be excited about –
holding RSL to one credible chance at goal while frustrating their offense in
the midfield. If these teams met in the
playoffs, I'd expect some interesting fireworks for sure.

Overall grade for the Timbers: 8. While I'm disappointed that the Timbers couldn't
achieve the win to give them control of their destiny in the Supporters Shield
race, the result gave them great optimism for their future. The playoffs are now a reality and because of
other results, Portland
still has a solid chance at the Shield, but what impressed me more was how well
they kept their composure while RSL was throwing everything and anything at
them during the match. Young teams need
to learn how to play under that much duress, and the match was a good test with
how different the intensity is during playoff time.